The Stalker
by shadowsnowleopard
Summary: This takes a twist on the original Percy story when he finds out a girl has been following him his entire life. She watches from the shadows until one day a walk through the woods leads to Percy catching her at sword point, leaving Percy with one question: why is she following him?
1. Seen

**Ummm... Hi I guess. Foremost, this is my first published piece so I encourage you to critique it, but try not to be too harsh. For gods' sakes I'm only in high school. I'm not even your typical writer. By this I mean: ENGLISH IS NOT MY BEST CLASS. By far. Get ready for a world of grammatical errors and such. Math on the other hand… And I'm getting off topic. I wouldn't blame you if you stopped reading this now. BTW most of my author's notes are gonna be like this. GET OVER IT. People who read my pieces tend to say my voice comes out a lot. Even it they aren't fictional. The pieces I mean. Not the people. That would be weird. First of all you need to know that I am about as nerdy as you can get without being** _ **completely**_ **stereotypical. If you want to know why then leave a review asking, but otherwise I'm gonna guess that you don't want to hear about me or my problems. I'm guessing you're just reading this author's note because you either feel obligated to or you're laughing your ass off and think this is utterly ridiculous and I'm making a fool of myself. Well. Might as well get this over with. Here it is. The story that will probably make you shut off your computer and throw it out into a puddle.**

 **Oh. One more thing. Please don't think the topic is creepy at first. I have absolutely no experience in the stalker department.**

 **Oh. Yeah. And another thing- Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or HoO sadly enough, although the rest of the plot is mine including the main character so...**

 **~The Stalker~**

 **Stalker POV**

I had been watching him for years, silent yet vigilant. I had known before he did. I had known before most of them did. I was sure he had seen me once or twice in his younger years, but quickly dismissed me just as soon as he would a shadow or an illusion. The older he got, the more careful I had to be.

Was he really worth all of this trouble? Was he really worth all this sneaking around?

Yes. Yes he was. For he was savior of Olympus. That much I had foreseen. Staring at him then, walking along the beach, I thought of all the anxiety he had caused in my life.

" _You can't do this!" Poseidon exclaimed. "You'll just draw attention to them. Zeus is sure to discover what I've done with you following their every move."_

" _I have no choice!" I yelled back, poking him in the chest with my finger to emphasize my point. "I have to clean up_ your _mistake! Now that it has happened there is nothing in this world to undo it! We can only hope that someday he will side with us and not our enemies."_

 _Poseidon slumped, defeated and at a loss for words. It was not entirely his fault, but all we could do was hide his blunder and hope that when at last it was discovered, Zeus wouldn't be too rash. Like I told Poseidon, I had no choice but to follow them for their own protection._

 _This risk I was putting myself at could not be ignored either. If the boy and I were discovered before he was ready then we would both be doomed. Silently I looked down at an innocent baby. The autumn cold snap brought a rosy color to his cheeks, but not enough to draw attention away from the wisps of raven black hair growing from his head._

" _You're very important you know," I whispered softly. "One day you'll grow big and strong. One day you'll save us all."_

 _I was speaking to the sleeping form of Perseus Jackson._

Snapping back to reality, I noticed a girl with blond princess curls jog up to Percy and make him smile. Laughter could be heard in the distance from the direction of the growing campfire flames, at the time a bright cherry red, and Annabeth tugged at Percy's arm while he followed her to the amphitheater. A few seconds later I stood up from where I was leaning against a tree at the edge of the forest and began to follow too.

Peering around the corner of the seating I could see that Percy and Annabeth had joined their friends in singing songs while marshmallows were toasted by the blaze. I could've sworn he held my gaze for the slightest moment and the smile was lost before I shrunk back into the shadows.

From the moment he arrived at camp I had involved myself in the camp activities to make it seem as though I was one of them, all happy and unknowing of the truth. Obviously I'm not. I had hoped that Percy would never know who I was. The gods of course knew by then that he's the son of Poseidon, but they had no idea of my involvement. I had no choice but to keep this from them. The only ones that actually knew the true me were Poseidon and Chiron, who swore on the River Styx not to reveal me.

The chatter in the stands slowly came to a halt and I heard a familiar voice that sent shivers down my spine call out to the campers. It was Luke. He acted so nonchalant telling everyone about this year's bead, but every time I saw him I noticed a tinge of darkness surrounded his arua. 'Ignore it,' I told myself. 'It's nothing'

Boy was I wrong.

The next day I was sitting on Half-Blood Hill watching demigods leave for another school year as a normal kid. Personally I can't say I know the feeling. That's when I heard it. Shouting followed by a conch shell. I jumped to my feet and ran in the general direction of the woods where, in the distance, Percy stumbled and fell. 'Seriously?!' I thought. 'I managed to protect you for the entire summer and on the last day, the moment I leave your side, this happens.'

Of all things it had to be pit scorpions. This had Luke written all over it. Flashy yet deadly.

Hours later I stood silently outside the infirmary.

"Chiron," I asked, "He'll be alright won't he?"

"Of course," the old centaur answered, "within a few days he'll back back to his normal self."

"Not just after this," I mumbled, "when..."

I paused.

"You mean _if_ the prophecy comes true?" His expression darkened. "That waits to be seen. If he does survive until his sixteenth birthday then a difficult path lays ahead of him."

My feet shuffled around and I tucked my hair behind my ears, nodding in agreement. I knew better than anyone what was to come. After all, it was my fault.

"Any news on Luke?" Chiron questioned.

"None. He's disappeared into oblivion. Nowhere to be seen. Beyond the mortal eye. Whatever you want to call it, Luke's gone."

On that disappointing note I glanced back inside to the club-armed figure of Percy as he was just waking up. That was when I hopped down the porch stairs and, for once, temporarily walked away from my responsibilities.

It was a few days later that I followed Percy into the woods. I couldn't have a repeat of last time. He stopped by the river. It took me a moment to realize that this was the spot where he was stung. A pained expression filled his eyes. I leaned forward, wanting to comfort him.

* _snap_ *

Damn. I rushed behind a pine tree and away from the small twig that had almost given me away. Peeking through the sparse branches Percy could be seen awkwardly gripping Riptide (his celestial bronze sword) in his left hand since his right one was still so tightly wrapped in Ace bandages.

Still wary, Percy turned back and continued on a nonexistent path through the woods until he disappeared out of my sight. That wasn't good either. I had to find a happy medium where he didn't see me yet I could see him. Dashing through the brush I leaped over the river and landed softly on the opposite side. I continued to walk in the direction I hoped Percy was headed before I heard something rustle behind me.

I spun around, a sword in hand to see none other than Percy, surprise and disbelief spread across his confused face.

Despite this he managed to demand from me with Riptide at my throat, "Who are you and why are you stalking me?"

 **So I hope you didn't think it was too terrible, but please review or follow or whatever it is you do. As you may have figured out, it's currently taking place at the end of** **The Lightning Thief** **, but will speed through the books over the next few chapters. As for updates, I'm hoping to try to get one every two or so weeks since my summer vacation just started, but no promises since I travel a lot and have many prior commitments. Expecting more babbling? I guess you'll just have to keep checking for an update. ;p**

 **Okay, this is just an experiment. Can anyone guess what creature the first narrator is? (i.e. demigod, nymph, monster, etc.) This is already decided but I want to see if you can guess it. Chances are it will be revealed in chapter 3 or 4. Or later. Mwah ha ha...**


	2. At Sword Point

**Hi again. Soooo. If you're reading this I guess you were interested enough in my story. So yay! I must also say that I am so happy at the number of people who looked at my story and even more overjoyed that people actually favorited and followed it! I know the numbers are really low compared to other stories I've seen, but for my first story it's not too bad. I also know that I'm posting this earlier than expected, but I couldn't wait and I finished this chapter about 3 days ago. More of a description of this mysterious 'stalker' will be revealed in this story when Percy finally talks to her. This should be interesting though. I** _ **reeeally**_ **want to see your reactions to who is 'stalking' Percy so plz review.**

 **Disclaimer- PJO belongs to Rick Riordan, and so on.**

 **Percy POV**

 _..."Who are you and why are you stalking me?"_

I had barely managed to say this without stuttering. The strange girl standing in front of me seemed more intimidating than Zeus. Scratch that, she was even more intimidating than Annabeth.

Similar to Annabeth, she had wavy strawberry blond hair tightly pulled into a ponytail, but when it was down I assumed it would be a little longer than shoulder length. Her tan was so deep and perfect she had to live close to the shore or somewhere very sunny. A stern expression crossed her face when she saw me and the wisdom contained in her eyes reminded me strangely of Chiron, who had spent thousands of years training heros.

Although her soft features and short stature suggested she was close to my age, I had learned not to judge by appearances. For all I knew she could've been centuries old. My ADHD pulled my attention to every detail about her. Below her vibrant cobalt eyes there was a splash of freckles across her nose and delicate lips just below that.

She dressed appropriately, yet odd, for a stalker. Over a black t-shirt and dark jeans she wore a jet-black cloak that seemed to hide her in the shadows and make it hard to focus on her appearance. Just to top it off, on her feet were a pair of what could be described as 'well loved' inky black combat boots.

The scariest part about her, I mean besides the look in her eyes that said ' _I can kill you without a second thought,'_ was the leaf-shaped blade in her hands. It reminded me so much of Riptide between the leather grip and celestial bronze that I had to double-check my hands to make sure that I still held my sword.

Mustering up all my courage I asked her once more, "I said- Who are you and why are you stalking me?"

A smirk crossed her face, but it looked forced, as if she just didn't know what else to do.

And then she looked me straight in the eye and sarcastically answered, "Stalking is a strong word. I prefer to call it, 'calmly watching from the shadows.'"

Neither of us loosened our grips on our swords, although my right hand began to throb in an attempt to balance my sword on it.

"'Calmly watching from the shadows?'" I repeated, becoming angry, "When did this start? When I was claimed? When I returned the bolt? Are you trustworthy?"

"As for the first question… This began long before you returned the bolt or were even claimed. This began long before _you_ in fact, when the Oracle spewed her prophecy about the Big Three. As for being able to trust me… Well Jackson, I may very well be the only person in your life more committed to your well being than you are."

"Are you actually concerned with my well being, or are you just interested in what I can do?"

"Both I guess."

I looked at her, concerned as to what she would do next. If it came down to a fight, I'm pretty sure she would win, but I hoped she didn't know that. After a moment where we both just stood there silently I decided to continue.

"If you've been following me all this time, and you know everything there is to know about me, then don't I at least deserve to know your name?"

"I suppose for now you can just call me Cassie."

"Cassie huh? Well if we're on the same side then why do we still have our swords up?"

The newly named Cassie glanced down as if just realizing this and slowly lowered her Riptide look alike before mine went down too. I may have lowered my blade, but I didn't feel comfortable enough around her yet to cap it and put it back in my pocket.

It was then that I realized how late it had gotten. The moon was high in the sky and the monsters stocked in the woods had begun to call out to each other. I glanced around nervously. I had never been alone in the woods this late at night, but then again, I guess I wasn't alone. Looking back at Cassie, the moon left a silvery aura surrounding her, just enough to make me think that there was something different about her.

"Walk with me back to the cabins," she said, sheathing her sword, "I'll answer your questions if I can on the way."

I'd never admit it, but she seriously scared me. On the other hand, I needed answers. Reluctantly I followed her.

?

After stumbling to keep up with Cassie's brisk pace, we finally broke through the edge of the woods and walked into the sword arena where she proceeded to bring out her sword and hack at the few remaining dummies.

"You said you would answer my questions," I gasped, worn out by my wound and the midnight jog through the woods, "but you never gave me a chance to ask."

"If you had caught up with me I would've answered them as we walked, but our pace was slow enough as is was and I don't think answering questions would've helped in any way," Cassie replied, not even fazed by the exercise. Then again she wasn't stung by a pit scorpion only a few days ago.

Sitting down on the bleachers I tried to catch my breath. After a few minutes of watching Cassie whirl and slice through the straw men I wasn't sure I wanted to make her angry, so I had to pull an Annabeth and think through my questions before asking anything. Cassie paused to get some water from the cooler and despite the workout she wasn't even sweating yet.

Cassie sheathed her sword and sat next to me. Her smell was intoxicating, nothing like the Aphrodite Cabin's perfume. I decided it was more of a honeysuckle lavender that could be found at the Demeter Cabin. I stared at her, dumbfounded.

"Are you going to ask me a question or just sit there?" Cassie asked in a whisper as if scared of what I would say.

I kept looking at her, finding the most innocent question to start with. "Why did you bring me to the sword arena to talk?"

Her steely eyes softened as she gazed at my innocent expression. Unexpectedly she started laughing. "I've been watching you for almost 13 years and your first question for me is why I brought you to the sword arena?"

I held my gaze. "You said you'd answer truthfully."

"Fine. I brought you here because it calms my nerves to hit things and at camp the sword arena is the best place to do that without people looking at you funny."

I suddenly wished I hadn't asked that question. That was not something I wanted to know. I tried lean away just a bit. My stalker didn't seem to notice how uncomfortable it made me. I brought out Riptide in pen form, nervously playing with it. I looked up at her expecting face. Right. Next question.

 **So that's the second chapter. That's a basic description of the stalker, now known as Cassie. I'm not sure when the next update will be. Probably within two weeks. No guarantees because I travel a lot.**

 **I'm having a bit of trouble with the next chapter. What do you want to know about Cassie? Certain things can't be revealed right now, but if I can answer them I will.**

 **As a repeat of the first chapter and now that you know more about the stalker, I'm still conducting an experiment. Can anyone guess what creature Cassie is? (i.e. demigod, nymph, monster, etc.) This is already decided but I want to see if you can guess it. Chances are it will be revealed in chapter 5 or 6. Or later. Sorry if you thought it would be sooner. There's just so many things I want to include before it's revealed. Well, review or follow or favorite or do whatever it is you do. Keep watching for updates!**


	3. The Interrogation

**Unfortunately not many people responded as to what they want to know about Cassie… Actually, no one responded. *tear* Seriously guys? Yes I'm looking at you. Yeah you. The person sitting inside reading fan fiction. It takes a minute or two. Go down to the little review box. Yes, you know the one. You probably just passed it to click the next chapter button. Then type your review/question. AND POST THE GODDAMN THING. Sorry for swearing but you guys need an incentive to post questions. However, I did get one guess as to what Cassie is (thank you for writing a review by the way), and I'm sorry to tell you that no, she isn't a hunter. That would've been great, but then she would have to hate guys and she would be with Artemis and the hunt all the time. So sorry, but she's not a hunter. Anyone else have a guess? It can be the most ridiculous guess. I don't care. As long as you review. I have ideas for later on in the story, but you guys don't really know anything about Cassie. If you don't ask questions then the next few chapters might be really short. Just think about that. That's why this chapter is short. Blame yourself.**

 **Disclaimer- PJO belongs to Rick Riordan, and so on.**

 **Cassie POV**

I breathed in, debating on how to answer his next question, and it seemed as though the ocean was sitting right next to me, which in a way I guess it was, with the smell of salty sea spray floating through the air. I looked down at my hands.

"You're… You're different from other half-bloods. You're special. Remember how Annabeth mentioned waiting for a special child of the Big Three?" I asked.

"Yeah. Everyone's assuming that's me," Percy responded.

"Not to put pressure on you, but I may be apart of that everyone."

"What's so special about me though? What am I going to do?"

Sheepishly I looked up at him.

"I'm sorry but I can't tell you. I swore upon the River Styx to keep it a secret."

Jackson looked at me will his baby seal eyes, but I stuck to my guns and held my mouth shut.

"So much for answering honestly," Percy mumbled.

I chose to ignore that comment and instead give him a withering look, leading to a small smile on my part when he flinched away.

"Okay, maybe I should start with something simpler," Percy said. "Tell me about yourself."

I looked blankly at him, not fully comprehending.

"Pretend you're introducing yourself to me for the first time. Which you actually are I guess. Hi. My name is Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon. My favorite color is blue, and I like to eat blue food."

He held his hand out to shake. I looked at him again, still slightly confused. Why couldn't I just stay in the shadows? None on this would be happening.

"Hi."

I paused and ignored Percy's outstretched hand.

"My name is Ca… Cassie. Yeah. Cassie. That's what I said earlier. I can't tell you who my parents are. My favorite color is purple. And I like food with its normal color. Except cakes."

Percy rolled his hands in a 'go on' gesture. Frustrated, I pulled myself off the bench and began attacking the defenseless dummies once again. I had hoped that by concentrating on something else I could talk to Percy easier.

"Like I told you," I paused to try and dislodge my sword from a dummy's helmet, "hitting things calms me down. It makes me feel like I'm in control."

This time I saw Percy lean away. Instead of removing my sword from the helmet, the entire head ripped. He leaned even further away.

"I'm good with most weapons, though I prefer using a bow or sword."

"That much I can see," Percy replied sarcastically.

"You know, Jackson," I turned toward him, "this would be a lot easier if you had specific questions. I feel like I'm filling out a Camp Half-Blood dating profile."

I kicked the dummy head off the edge of my blade.

"Yeah, but I don't really know what to ask you. What about this. You said you've been watching me your entire life, right?"

"Right," I said, unsure of where he was going with this. I pushed my sword into the dirt and leaned against it.

"Yet you look my age. Then how old are you?" he continued.

"Jackson."

"What?"

"Didn't your mother ever tell you it's not polite to ask a women how old she is?"

"U-ummm…" Percy stuttered as he began to turn pink.

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" he asked.

"I'm immortal dumbass. Eventually I lost track around two thousand." **(A/N sorry for the language but that's what I say when someone's being stupid)**

Percy just looked at me with his mouth gaping open like a fish. **(Another A/N I had to write that. I make a lot of puns. Just ask my friends. Scratch that. You don't know my friends.)**

"Prove it," he said, his voice small, though I had a suspicion he already believed me.

"You said it yourself Jackson. I look your age yet I've been watching you for years," I said while swinging my sword around nonchalantly.

"Oh. Yeah," he said, looking flustered. "Well, where were you before you started watching me? Since- you know- you've been alive for thousands of years."

"Uh. Before I was set on the task of watching you… Well… Let's just say I now have a new pet. I found him deep in a system of caverns in China. It took two months to track him down and another three weeks to catch him. And countless years to get him to trust me."

"And before that?"

"That's quite a sensitive subject," I said, a laugh catching in my throat and becoming a sob. "Before that I was tracking Thalia, daughter of Zeus. I didn't succeed on that. Obviously. I saw her dying body but I wasn't quick enough. Can- can we not talk about it?"

Of course it wasn't a question, but rather a statement.

By that point, tears were streaming down my face. I didn't bother trying to hide them.

"Look at me," I said. "I'm blubbering."

For some reason a small giggle bubbled from my mouth. I dragged the heels of my palms across my cheeks. Sniffing softly I looked back at Percy, who had reached stage three of my usual demigod introductions.

Stage one: confrontation. Check. Being at sword point counts, even if disappointingly enough there was no actual battle.

Stage two: confusion. Check. This varies as one of two things. Either them wondering how I'm holding them beneath my blade if stage one included a battle (especially when they're twice my size). Or they begin to ask questions about who I am or what I'm doing following them or why my skin is bright purple (a long story involving a unicorn and a pair of sneakers). In Percy's case it was the latter.

Stage three: awkwardness. Check. Percy still sat on the bench, squirming as if he was debating on whether or not to try and comfort me. Finally he stood up and walked over to me, lightly patting me on the shoulder.

I think I made it worse by laughing.

"I'm the immortal one, yet you're comforting me. That's new."

I took a deep breath and wiped away the last of the tears.

Percy gave a tentative smile. I gave a small smile back.

And he's snared. Tears on command. Always comes in handy. Same with the innocent look.

Now for stage four.

 **Mwah ha ha… Okay not really. Don't worry she's not evil. It's just another small matter. You'll see. When I think of it. But she's definitely not evil. Next update within two weeks for those of you watching and waiting. No need to worry. I kept my promise on this one and the last one. In other news… READ AND REVIEW. You can check read off, but look at the second half of that. And do it.**

 **As a repeat of the previous chapters and now that you know more about Cassie, can anyone guess what creature she is? (i.e. demigod, nymph, monster, etc.) This is already decided but I want to see if you can guess it. Chances are it will be revealed in chapter 5 or 6. Or Later. BTW, if you didn't read the author's note at the top of this page, someone already guessed hunter and I unfortunately said no.**

 **Also I'm posting another story soon called The Northern Lights about the legacies of the seven + others so check my page and I should be putting it on within a few days.**

 **For those who didn't pay attention.**

 **REVIEWREVIEWREVIEWREVIEWREVIEW**

 **Plz & thx**

 **p.s. that's my new sign off**

 **p.p.s. the plz & thx thing**


	4. Reunion: Part 1

**Hi again peeps. I am very proud to say that I reached 350 views after posting my last chapter. And if any of you think thats sad… Well don't tell me it's sad because that might ruin my day… And I know I keep saying two weeks and posting before, but I do say** _ **within**_ **two weeks. Anyway, in this chapter we'll be moving on to** **The Sea of Monsters** **. The first part is before the book and the second part is after the book. I did tell you in on of my author's notes that I would try to speed through the books, so I'm going to try to stick to 2 chapters for the next three books and just a few for** **The Last Olympian** **.**

 **Also, I think there may have been some confusion in the last chapter. Cassie's skin is not purple. That happened at another point in her life. So by 'latter' I meant that Percy began asking a bunch of questions.**

 **Disclaimer- PJO belongs to Rick Riordan, and so on.**

 **Cassie POV**

It had been almost a year since I had last talked to Perseus Jackson. Ever since he found out that he was a demigod I had stopped watching from the shadows. There was no need to protect him anymore. He could protect himself. Plus there was other business I needed to attend to.

"Thalia. The time is coming."

My voice resonated through the wood of her tree and I brushed my hand by the part with poison oozing out.

"I'm sorry." I apologized to the pine tree.

It's bristly emerald needles had begun to turn an ugly shade of brown. The tough bark that used to keep out everything had begun to soften and wear.

"There's nothing I can do to help the pain. Just a little bit longer though. A quest will be called and you will be healed. You will return."

My voice was just a whisper. The constellations glowed brightly in the night sky above me. A soft breeze blew by, and with it, the smell of the strawberry fields. I looked down the hill at the camp. Everything was dark and calm, except for one light in the big house that remained on.

 **Weeks later...**

 **Percy POV**

It was hard to introduce Thalia back into the world. Like _way_ beyond difficult. The Stolls had an illegal laptop out as Thalia, Annabeth, and I walked by their cabin and she looked at it like it was alien technology. At least there was less technology at camp than in the real world. I don't know what she'll do if we introduce her to smart phones.

I glanced over at Annabeth and Thalia as we walked towards the sword arena for practice. Annabeth had barely let Thalia out of her sight since she'd come back. Annabeth stuck to her like velcro. I guess I understand where she's coming from, but sometimes I think Annabeth is being dragged into the past; a past that unfortunately included Luke.

 _Focus on the present_ , I told myself.

Thalia's a formidable fighter. I had no idea what to expect from her today since she'd been studying new techniques. When we reached the center of the arena I uncapped Riptide and a bronze blade sprang forth. Then I tapped the watch Tyson gave me and it spiraled into a beautiful shield depicting our journey through the Sea of Monsters.

Thalia was no less prepared. Her spear expanded from a collapsible Mace canister that she took out of her pocket. After that she tapped her bracelets that morphed into a shield portraying Medusa. When I had first asked Thalia about she told me it was called Aegis and was modeled after her father's. After facing the real Medusa, I can tell you that the resemblance is very close. Of course I had no idea whether the eyes were correct. That would require being turned to stone. Something I'd rather not do.

I tested her out first, feinting to the left. Thalia saw right through that and dodged it easily. We began circling each other, surveying the other's fighting styles. We parried back and back for a while.

"Come on guys. Fight for real," Annabeth called out.

I glanced at her sitting in the stands. That had drawn my attention away for just enough time that Thalia could get in a blow. She hit my ribs hard with the end of her spear. I doubled over coughing. That was definitely going to leave a bruise later, but at least nothing was cracked or broken.

Thalia let down her defense after the blow, thinking it would take more time for me to recover, so I came up strong with my sword. There was just enough time for Thalia to raise her shield in defense. She wasn't completely ready for my strike though and lost her balance from it, rolling away quickly before I could strike again. Thalia was back on her feet in no time and we began once more. This time though, She chose to try a new tactic. Raising her spear, a thin bolt of lightning raced down from the cloud filled sky and hit me square in the chest, knocking me to the ground. I groaned from the dirt covered vantage point. Something smelled like it was burning. Was that me?

I looked up towards the sky when something else caught my eye and a thought popped into my head.

"So that's how you want to play it?" I growled. "Then let the games begin."

When Thalia had blasted me, I landed right next to the water coolers. You can see where this is going right?

The water shot out of the coolers and slammed into Thalia, pushing her into a pile of dirt that was turning to mud due to the water. Soaked in water with her spiky hair flattened and covered in muck, she gave her best glare.

"You're gonna pay for that Kelp Head!" Thalia shouted as she scrambled in the mud. She finally found her footing and stood up. Her face had turned a violent shade of red and it was almost as if the anger was pouring off of her.

"Bring it on, Pinecone Face!" I yelled back and stood up too.

Electricity crackled over Thalia's skin, following the trails of water more than anything else.

"Whoa! Whoa. Okay. That's enough," Annabeth claimed, jumping in between Thalia and me before anyone could get severely hurt, "I think that's enough practice for today."

A conch shell blew in the distance, signaling dinner.

"Perfect timing," Annabeth breathed.

It was the week after the little spat I had with Thalia in the sword arena, and she, Annabeth, and I were walking away from the lava rock climbing wall. I had yet to climb it without getting the hair on my forearms singed off. Waving my arms through the air in an attempt to get rid of the smoke, I looked past the girls to the edge of the woods, which was where we were heading, hoping that it would provide shade on this sweltering day.

I was discussing a new plan for capture the flag with Annabeth.

"You're kidding me right?" she asked.

"What? It's a completely viable plan," I told her.

"Where do you think you're going to get a stampede of unicorns?" Annabeth wondered out loud.

"Uhhh…" I stammered. "I haven't worked out the kinks in the plan yet."

"Well, when you do find those unicorns, let me know. I want to get them out of your uncapable hands as soon as possible," Annabeth informed me.

Thalia walked on the other side of Annabeth. She was glancing around the camp, as though looking for something, or someone. This had been happening since she arrived. At first I dismissed it as amazement at the camp, but now she knew camp like the back of her hand. What could she have possibly been looking for?

"Hey, Thalia? Are you alright?" I looked at her, not completely sure what I expected in response.

"Yeah," Thalia told me, looking down at her feet. "It's just, when I came here, I was hoping to find someone. Someone from my past. Before Annabeth and… Luke."

His name hung in the air, like a dark cloud on this sunny shiny day. My hand still showed the scar from our encounter last summer. Annabeth on the other hand, had the wheels in her head spinning. I could see it. She was curious as to who this person was. A past lover? A best friend? Family, perhaps?

By this point, we had reached the edge of the forest.

"Looking for me by chance?" a voice called out from the shadows.

 **Sooooo. Fourth chapter. YAY. Next chapter within two weeks. Sooner if I get positive reviews. Although from my history with reviews that might not happen since for some reason nobody reviews. I don't know why. But I would appreciate it if you did review. What about this. If you review for this chapter I'll put a special shout out to you in the next chapter. Anybody gonna review now? Please? Sigh. You're still not going to are you. Oh well. I tried.**

 **As a repeat of the previous chapters can anyone guess what creature Cassie is? (i.e. demigod, nymph, monster, etc.) This is already decided but I want to see if you can guess it. Chances are it will be revealed in chapter 10 or 11. Or Later. Probably later. Actually definitely later. Sorry for false hope. I know I increased the time period a lot. It will probably be revealed in one of the chapters corresponding to** **The Last Olympian** **. Sorry again. There's just so much I want to add.**

 **And there's something else I'm forgetting.**

 **What was it…**

 **Hmmmm…**

 **Oh yeah!**

 **REVIEW! plz & thx**


	5. Reunion: Part 2

**Sup peeps. As promised,** _ **within**_ **two weeks. There's BIG NEWS. Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!**

 **First of all, I'd like to personally thank CuriousCelestial for writing a review.**

 **Second, CuriousCelestial is correct in guessing that Cassie is a goddess. Not a real one, mind you. Just an OC. You can try looking her up but it won't work. You won't find her. What gave it away? The immortality? The silver glow?**

 **So congrats. (^u^)**

 **After this chapter I'm moving on to** **The Titan's Curse** **. Aaaaanywho, here's the next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer- PJO belongs to Rick Riordan, and so on.**

 **Thalia POV**

A short figure remained leaning against one of the trees at the edge of the forest, arms tightly crossed against her chest. A dark hood covered her face, but I knew who she was. I would know that stance anywhere.

"Cassie…" I breathed, "You're-you're here."

"You sound surprised to find me in the vicinity of Greek mythology," Cassie said, smirking all the while from beneath that hood of hers, only a little bit of her face actually visible.

Finally I couldn't hold it back anymore. I ran forward, sweeping her into a hug. Her arms wrapped tightly around me and I could feel tears make their way down my cheeks.

"Where have you been?" I demanded, holding her shoulders at arm's length, "Why didn't you find me sooner?"

"I've… been busy," Cassie said in a low voice, "Terrible excuse, I know, but I've had a lot on my plate lately."

Cassie gave a tiny smile. Nothing had changed about her in the time I was a tree. I mean of course nothing had changed, considering her immorality, but she looked just like she did when I first met her so many years ago.

 _Flashback_

" _Life is hard when you're alone. When you're different," said a voice from the shadows. "I should know. I've been alone for many years."_

 _Shaking with fear I tapped my bracelets and Aegis sprang out._

" _Who-who are you?" I called out. "What do you want?"_

 _A girl walked out from the shadows, her face covered by a hood, but wavy strawberry blond hair protruded from the edges. She leaned against the wall of the dark alleyway with her arms tightly crossed._

" _Even if I tell you my name, you won't recognize me," the girl said, lowering her hood slowly._

 _Striking cobalt blue eyes with dark rings around the irises stared back at me. She seemed only a few years older than me, maybe twelve or thirteen. A bronze blade hung from the scabbard at her side. The material the sword was made from was the same as the material of my collapsible spear._

" _You're from Greek mythology aren't you?" I asked._

" _Clever girl," she said. "I am from Greek mythology, but you won't find me in any of your books or legends."_

" _Then you're not like me? You're not a demigod?" I inquired. "Are you a monster?"_

 _She gave a little chuckle and I reached towards my pocket, ready to fight if necessary._

" _I'm not a demigod," the shadow covered stranger told me, taking a step forward._

 _I gripped my collapsible mace canister closely._

" _I'm not a monster either," she continued, taking another step._

" _Then who are you?" I asked._

" _My name is Cassielle. I'm here to help you," she said._

 _End of Flashback_

I returned to the present, the memory of meeting Cassie faded away.

"I missed you," I whispered. "Why didn't you ever visit?"

"I thought I'd let you move on with your life. Not get stuck in the past," she said.

The look on her face told me she was a little uncomfortable by the emotions I was expressing. She definitely hadn't changed.

"So you left," I uttered, dropping my arms. "My best friend left."

"I told you I'd return," Cassie whispered, "I told you I'd return… someday. By the way- you're crying again."

"I'm what?" I asked, not quite registering.

"You're crying… again," Cassie whispered once more.

"Sorry," I sniffled, straightening up, "emotional time. I see you're still not crying."

"Not for hundreds of years," Cassie said in a wistful manor.

"Wait so last year when I met you for the first time- the crying was fake?" Percy interrupted.

I had almost forgotten that we had an audience.

"Please. I've only cried real tears 4 times in my entire life and it wouldn't be over Thalia Grace turning into a pine tree. I knew her fate," Cassie continued.

"You knew? You knew and you didn't stop it?" Percy asked

"You'll see why soon Jackson. And don't assume I'm heartless. All of the other futures where I saved Thalia ended in bloodshed and the end of the gods,"

Percy looked down right pissed. I can't say I blamed him. Sometimes Cassie could be a little cold, but still, she was like family to me. Annabeth just looked at Cassie, shock and disbelief filled her face.

"But-but anyone who tries to interfere with the future just ends up making it worse," she stuttered.

"That's why I didn't stop Thalia's transformation sweetheart," Cassie said, her voice monotone.

"Wait-" I asked. "Why are you here Cassie?"

"I'm checking up on you and Jackson," she answered. "I have to go soon though. Places to be. People to see."

I pulled her into another hug and thankfully enough, she returned it.

"Visit again soon," I said, releasing her.

I knew that she often disappeared out of nowhere, but then again, she would appear out of nowhere just as quick.

"I try," Cassie whispered, and she took a few steps back. "There's a hard winter coming. Be prepared."

Cassie's slight form dissolved in the air, leaving behind only the smell of honeysuckle and lavender.

Something about her warning bothered me. Cassie had never before warned me about weather or seasons. She had a habit of standing in the pouring rain any time of the year. Why would she be warning me about the winter to come? Unless there was another meaning hidden in it.

We all stood there for a few seconds silently.

"Who the Hades was that?" Annabeth asked, ending the silence.

I had forgotten that she hadn't met Cassie before.

"Cassie," Percy said.

Annabeth punched him.

"Ow," Percy mumbled, "What was that for?"

"I figured out her name from the conversation, Captain Obvious," Annabeth retorted. "What I want to know, is why you two never mentioned her before."

Percy received another smack on the arm and he turned away innocently. Stormy gray eyes turned away from him and towards me.

"I have my reasons," I explained.

"Sure you do," Annabeth said sarcastically, "What's your excuse Percy?"

"Focusing on my studies?" he suggested in a high pitched tone.

"That's even less believable than Thalia's," Annabeth commented.

She began walking back towards the cabins, completely ignoring our original idea to relax in the shade of the trees.

"Well," Annabeth continued, " I'm taking a shower then I'm going to-"

"The library?" Percy and I interrupted simultaneously.

"Don't bother," I told her. "Cassie's not in any of the legends or books."

"And how do you know?" Annabeth asked, sounding slightly miffed at the idea that something wouldn't be in a book.

"She told me," I justified.

"So, just to clarify," Annabeth inquired, "the person who won't tell you anything about her past _told_ you that there was nothing about her in the books and legends, and you _believed_ her."

"I've tried looking in the library, but could never find anything," I told her.

"That's just because you didn't have me," Annabeth posed.

Annabeth skipped off toward the library in the big house.

Percy and I glanced at each other, then at Annabeth, and raced after her, eager to find out what we could about Cassie.

 **CHAPTER 5! That's the end of** **The Sea of Monsters** **related chapters. Next chapter within 2 weeks. Uhhh. I have no idea what else to write. What about this.**

 **Since you hopefully all read the author's note at the beginning of the chapter you know know that Cassie's a goddess, though the rest of the characters are still clueless. The question is… The goddess of what? This too is certain, and will be revealed along with the characters finding out she's a goddess. That is unless someone guesses it first, which I doubt, but you can try.**

 **Follow, favorite, and review! plz & thx**


	6. Books, Books, and More Books

**Hello peoplez. I'm back. This is up so soon because I got a review on my last chapter and I've got to say, it made me really really happy, so you guys should thank Odium121 for the early chapter because they inspired me to write faster. On the other hand, no she is not the goddess of personal destiny. Wouldn't that technically be the Fates? Correct me if I'm wrong.**

 **The first part of this is taking place a few days before the Maine trip in** **The Titan's Curse** **and the second part happens a few weeks after it.**

 **Disclaimer- PJO belongs to Rick Riordan, and so on.**

 **Annabeth POV**

"Nothing. Months of searching and there's nothing," I practically screamed, slamming a book shut and tossing it on the nearby table.

Books were supposed to have the answer. They always have the answer. Want to know how to tie your shoes? Look in a book. Want to know the capital of Zimbabwe? Look in a book. Want to know about a mysterious immortal girl from Greek mythology? Look in book.

I felt like the Fates were screwing with me. Making me blind by taking away what I rely on most. I _need_ books. Without them I'm nothing.

"What about this?" Thalia asked.

I plopped down in the seat next to her. Percy had given up hours ago. First he had taken a nap, but now he was trying to build a tower out of books, and let me just say, his architecture was crap. One more book and it would fall.

"Here," Thalia said, point at a paragraph in a book about Aphrodite.

Percy thought this would be a good idea because of her "stunning looks." And no I wasn't jealous. I wasn't!

Thalia began to read.

"This paragraph, 'The first ones to greet Aphrodite as she came ashore, were the Charites, or Graces. The Charites included Thalia (good cheer),' Hey look I'm good cheer. 'Euphrosyne (mirth), and Aglaia (splendor)-'" Thalia cut off. "I think that would be her if she's one of the Charites. A 'minor beauty goddess of magnificent and splendid appearance.'"

"She's not that good looking is she?" I asked.

Thalia raised an eyebrow as she turned her head to slowly look at me.

"Not that I care," I mumbled in a sad attempt to rid myself of the spotlight.

Percy saved me the trouble. He put that one more book on the tower and it collapsed onto him. The chair he was in crashed backwards and from beneath The Encyclopedia of Greek History, all 37 volumes, Percy managed a small 'I'm okay.'

Thalia shook her head and returned to the page on Charites.

I continued to read it out loud. This took time of course, but I was eventually able to stumble through it.

"Percy listen to this and see if any of it sounds familiar. 'Annual competitions were held in honor of the Charites, including athletic competitions, literary, dramatic, and musical competitions. These festivals, known as Charitesia, were held in a town known as Orchomenos. The Charites, often referred to as attendants of Aphrodite, were closely related to the world of beauty and adorned many pieces of jewelry and fancy clothing. Also, their sacred animals included white geese-'"

"No. No no no," Thalia interrupted. "Definitely not her."

"Why not," I whined, "I would explain the immortality and and beauty and everything else."

"Cassie cannot _stand_ geese. She absolutely hates them. Can't be within a hundred yards of one without shooting it," Thalia explained.

"But it's such a perfect explanation. The reason for her not being a Charite can't be based on her dislike for geese," I told Thalia, hoping she would agree.

"You don't get it," Thalia continued. "She absolutely _hates_ geese. Trust me. Plus, if she were a goddess, then she would tell me." **(A/N lol)**

"I guess you're right," I whispered, not completely convinced.

"Just keep looking," Thalia offered, "Books always have the answers right?"

"Right," I mumbled.

Percy sat back down in his righted chair, huffing loudly, and banged his head on the table, clearly disgruntled about the continued search.

Weeks Later...

"I miss Thalia," I whispered.

Once more, Percy and I were pouring over books, looking for information about Cassie. Percy was more or less helping, although right now he was asleep on a book about nereids. Percy's mom walked in with a fresh plate of blue chocolate chip cookies. She glanced at Percy, a little smile growing on her face. We had moved the search to Percy's apartment, and the dining room table was piled high with books.

"Annabeth, dear," Sally said, "Why don't you go home for tonight? You've been at it all afternoon. Go get some rest and you can come back tomorrow."

"You're right Sally," I replied, sighing.

I stood up and grabbed my jacket and backpack, sliding a book into it to read at home.

"Good night Annabeth," Sally told me and gave me a hug.

"Good night Sally," I said.

Then I looked down at Percy. He was snoring softly on the table. The grey streak in his hair from his time holding the sky was prominent, and I fingered the matching one in my hair.

"Good night Percy," I whispered as I turned towards the door and left.

That night… Around midnight

I lay awake in my bed that night, staring up at the ceiling. Small stars glowed in the dark. Percy had put them there the one time he visited, attempting to make constellations, but ultimately failing. I smiled. That was a good memory. He had come over to get help studying for midterms. The stars calmed me down. They made me think of our adventures.

Outside it had begun to snow hard. It had been a hard winter, especially with what happened during the winter solstice. Wait. _It had been a hard winter_. I had heard that before. Where though. Where had I heard that.

Cassie.

I sat straight up in my bed. Cassie had said it before she left.

She said, _There's a hard winter coming. Be prepared._ She wasn't talking about the weather though. She was talking about the hardships. Falling and being captured. Holding the weight of the sky. Bianca and Zoë dying. Nico disappearing into the forest.

Definitely a hard winter.

How did Cassie know though? She must have connections, or be the connections other people have. And if so, then she must be more powerful than we originally estimated.

She might be something ancient. From myths even farther back than we've been searching. Maybe she was a primordial. I had to tell Percy. I didn't care that it was the middle of the night. I had to tell him about my breakthrough.

I reached out to my night stand and grabbed my cell phone. I dialed Percy's number and it rang multiple times before Percy answered it.

"Look, I know it's late," I told him.

"Late! That's an understatement…" he answered.

"But I thought of something to do with Cassie," I said.

 **Nico POV**

"Life is hard when you're alone. When you're different," said a voice from the shadows. "I should know. I've been alone for many years."

"Who are you?" I shouted, my voice cracking in fear.

I dragged my new sword out, the stygian iron seeping at the little warmth in the air.

"I'm armed," I called out.

"Don't be afraid Nico," the shadow form said in a soft voice as it stepped from the shadows and lowered the dark hood.

She looked a few years older than me, maybe twelve or thirteen. Wavy strawberry blond hair cascaded down her shoulders and she stared at me with startling cobalt blue eyes.

The girl walked closer to me, her black cape rippling in the brisk wind of late January. She didn't seem bothered by the falling snow as it got caught in her hair. She crossed her arms and leaned against a brick building.

"My name is Cassielle. I'm here to help you," she said.

 **So what do you think? Good ending? Hopefully? Well, tell me what you think. And that's the one and only chapter for** **The Titan's Curse** **.**

 **You guys should at this point know that Cassie's a goddess, though the rest of the characters are still clueless. The question is… The goddess of what? This too is certain, and will be revealed along with the characters finding out she's a goddess. That is unless someone guesses it first, which I doubt, but you can try.**

 **Follow, favorite, and review! plz & thx**


	7. Pain and Memories

**CHAPTER SEVEN! Oh right. Hi peeps. Now. CHAPTER SEVEN. And I'm really really really really sorry this chapter took so long but it's within two weeks so technically you can't complain. Can I just chat to you people for a few lines? Yes? Okay. So I have a friend who's in Europe right now and she's going to Italy and I asked her if she would bring me back a souvenir sword. She said no unfortunately. I was hoping for a Riptide look-a-like or something. Anyway, I really should be doing my AP Biology summer work right now, but I'm not because I had to write for you guys. Also, my account seems to not like me, because I only just recently got the reviews from the four guests who wrote reviews earlier, and that's why I'm writing. First of all, thanks for writing reviews, I really appreciate it. Second, more than one person has asked if she's the god of stalking. Uh. No. That would be creepy. And as for the guest who wrote a ton of ideas, I glad you put some thought into it, and one of them is part of her powers. You know how goddess can control multiple things? Like Artemis with the moon and hunting. Cassie is the goddess three things. One of them being shadows, so throw a party or whatever you want to do to celebrate. One down two to go. Keep guessing people. Maybe the next chapter will help. Sorry for the long author's note.**

 **P.S. This is after the end of** **The Battle of the Labyrinth.**

 **And one more big thing….. I REACHED A THOUSAND VIEWS. Excitement! Fine I'll let you read. Go on.**

 **Disclaimer- PJO belongs to Rick Riordan, and so on.**

 **Cassie POV**

I sighed.

"Nico," I said, "You're the only one who can convince him to do this. The only one who can help him do it."

"But he won't listen to me!" Nico complained.

"Make him listen," I practically commanded.

Nico had changed so much in the past months. I had guided him at first, leading him to safe houses and training him. Although, I wouldn't always appear as a mortal, but when I did, I had slowly aged myself so I looked almost fifteen. At times I would simply become a glowing silver sphere, with little wisps reaching off.

During that particular argument I was mortal, but the anger was starting to show. Starting at my scalp, a darkness spread through my hair like ink in water.

Nico had never been afraid of me and the darkness I carried in my heart. After all, he was a son of Hades. Even now, when the shadows and dark seemed to hug to me instead of him. My hands were clenched and my fingers dug into my palms, drawing golden ichor.

At this point I didn't care if Nico saw me for who I really was. He had the best chance of understanding me. We were both wallflowers. Him, among demigods. And me among gods.

No one would ever write myths about the great goddess Cassielle. No one would ever build me a temple or shrine. Even those I had helped eventually forgot my name. Nico, Percy, even Thalia, were just apart of a long line of people who I'd help from the sidelines and be forgotten about when things turned in their favor.

The other gods thought that I was weak and useless; just a minor goddess. In truth though, they don't know my real power. Without me, nothing would live; nothing would survive in this ever changing world.

"I know you've had some tough times," Nico started.

"You don't know the half of it," I whispered.

"But you shut people out more often than I do." he continued, "Why?"

"Because I'm different," I answered, "Because no one will ever understand me. Not even you. Because I am the forever outcast."

"That's what I thought," Nico told me, "but they're trying to be better. The gods and demigods. You should try to."

"You don't understand," I said, narrowing my eyes, "They'll never accept me. Not just because I'm different. But because I more powerful than them. What ever they can do, I can do, for I am the shadows, and I see everything."

That's when I faded into the shadows, as Nico sometimes did.

The frustration was seriously getting to me. If Nico didn't convince Percy to bathe in the River Styx, then Percy wouldn't be impervious and wouldn't live to battle Kronos and the war would go sideways.

I groaned and laid down on the ground, not knowing or caring where I was.

This whole mess was not my fault, but here I was, cleaning up the destruction once more.

There it was. Phase four: fix whatever the hell the gods screwed up this time. In this case it was their ignorance. Not easy to fix. And there was a chance it wouldn't work. After all, they had ignored me for millennia. I wasn't particularly happy with Zeus' ruling style, but the Titan's would be ten times worse.

I closed my eyes.

Goddess don't nap, much less sleep. I was simply keeping a slightly mortal body in place while letting my consciousness float around the world.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, I felt calm enough to go back to my body. Not enough to go back to Nico, but enough to walk on earth again.

I opened my eyes to a concerned face. It was a boy.

He had windswept deep brown hair that was carelessly brushed away from his face and soft emerald gazed at me from beneath it. His skin was tanned like he spent a lot of time in the sun and outdoors. Also, his muscles rippled like he spent a lot of time working out. And from a guess, he would look about fifteen or sixteen. The best thing about him though, was that he didn't seem to care about his appearance. He wore baggy jeans, a worn pair of Nikes, and a blue shirt.

The thing about him though, was that I recognized him. And even better- he recognized me. Other than Thalia, which was a different situation, that hadn't happened in a long time.

He was still kneeling on the ground next to me, a grin spread across his face.

"Hey Cassie, long time no see," he said.

"Max," I whispered.

 **Max POV**

"Hey Cassie, long time no see," I said.

"Max," Cassie whispered.

She had changed over the years, but I would recognize her anywhere.

"What did you do to your hair?" I asked.

She gave a little strangled laugh and reached up to touch the receding black streaks. She was still laying on the ground, but now she gave me a little smile, and there was still a crazy grin on my face.

I had gone for a walk in the woods just for some alone time. What I found though was so much better.

Cassie was dressed in all black: shirt, pants, shoes, and her black cloak, clasped together with a little pendant I had given her. That along with a silver bracelet on her wrist were the only things she wore that didn't have a dark color. Considering I had given her the bracelet too, I figured she must have remembered me. Well, that and the fact that she remembered my name. On the bracelet though, there was one charm for every year we had known each other, similar to Camp Half-Blood's necklaces. As I saw her laying there there were only three charms on the bracelet, but two more sat in my pocket where I had kept them for a while.

I remembered her. In fact, I remembered the first time we met. I remembered the last time I saw her. It was two years ago.

 _Flashback_

 _Two Years Ago_

 _The sun was just beginning to set on the camp's beach. Waves lapped softly at our barefeet. Cassie and I sat on a blanket next to each other. I was staring at her. She was staring out at the open sea. A single tear rolled down her cheek. Without turning towards me she began to speak._

" _You know I have to leave soon," Cassie whispered, her voice hollow._

" _We both know that's not true," I told her, "you don't have to go if you don't want to."_

" _I don't want to leave," she said, hugging her knees to her torso._

" _Then don't," I said._

 _I wrapped arms around her and she leaned into me. The single tear still hung on her cheek. I wiped it away with my thumb and held her closer. Her eyes were still wide open, like she was shell shocked._

" _I have to," she admitted, "If I stay here with you they'll know."_

" _Then let them know. Let the whole world know!" I shouted at nothing in particular._

" _They'll kill you," she said in nothing more than a whisper._

" _You can stop them. I know you can," I murmured to her._

" _At a price," she said, another tear rolling down her cheek, "A price I'm not willing to pay."_

" _There's always going to be a price," I said, "Everything has one."_

" _You're right," she said, her voice void of emotion, "and the price to keep you safe is to leave."_

" _That doesn't mean you should leave," I remarked, "I know I can't change your mind, but at least give me this one night. Give me something to remember you by. And I'll give you something to remember me by."_

 _I held out a little bow and arrow charm. The third addition to her silver bracelet. Cassie accepted it, grateful for something to hold onto once she left._

" _I have something for you too," she whispered._

 _Cassie turned to me and pressed a small box into my hand. She looked up at me, and I looked down at her. Then she did something unexpected. She leaned in for a kiss._

 _Our lips met and the fireworks were better than the camp's Fourth of July._

 _She pulled her head away but wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me close in a hug._

" _Goodbye," she whispered in my ear._

 _She stood up, her face wet from the tears that were now pouring down her face, and clasped her black cloak on. Her hands shook as she lifted the hood up and turned away, quiet sobs escaping from inside the shadows. Then she began walking, slowly disappearing in the air._

End of Flashback

Present Day

Cassie still laid on the soft grass. I still looked down at her, blinking away the memory. Two years. I had waited two years, never wavering. I thought of her every day. Missed her every day. And looking down at the longing in her timeless eyes I knew she felt the same way.

I was rarely surprised, but what she did next took my breath away.

Cassie wrapped her hands around my neck and pulled me into a deep kiss.

 **Enticing enough? I figured Cassie should have a love interest at some point and it couldn't be someone you know. Do you like it? Or not? Tell me in the reviews. Also, the reason she can sometimes be cold and distant is because of her past, including having to leave Max. For those of you counting, that's real tears one out of four. Tell me what you think. Oh and I'll try to update sooner next time. Within two weeks. But otherwise no promises. Sorry. Any questions or suggestions for the story?**

 **Follow, favorite, and review! plz & thx**


	8. Return

**Chapter 8 is up peeps! No particular notes or feedback. Wait! Cassie's full character should be revealed within a few chapters, so keep watching for updates. Otherwise nothing. I guess this is making up for the super long author's note last time.**

 **Disclaimer- PJO belongs to Rick Riordan, and so on.**

 **Percy POV**

Days had passed since Beckendorf's death but the mood of the camp was still dreary. This war had taken a serious toll on us, me especially. All the battle strategies being created were for an actual war instead of capture the flag. Annabeth and I were going over one now in the dining pavilion.

I looked up at the camp from the table. I couldn't let anything happen to it. This place was my home. The strawberry fields. The soft green grass everywhere. The sand dunes of the beach. And then I spotted someone I sort of recognized next to someone I practically only knew from the shadows. She looked a bit different, a little older, but there was no doubt that it was her. Cassie was back at camp. I had last seen her about two years ago. The question was, why hadn't she come to see me? And why was she laughing? And why-? You know what? There was more than one question.

"-and then we strike hard and fast. Any questions?" Annabeth finished.

I hadn't actually been paying attention to the last half of her plan. To be honest I didn't have any intention of finding out right now.

"Yeah," I said, "Who's that guy?"

I pointed down towards the lake where Cassie was now using droplets of water to create rainbows in the air. Annabeth scowled, not understanding why I asked.

"That boy is Max, son of Hephaestus. Makes some of the best swords at camp, and not bad at using them either. Got to camp about two years before you did. Sixteen years old now I think. And next to him-" she stopped.

Annabeth's jaw dropped. She was completely silent for a few moments. That's new.

"Is that-?" she started.

I nodded.

"And she's-?" Annabeth continued.

I nodded again.

The daughter of Athena took off at a sprint. She knocked over a ton of papers covered with diagrams and plans, some of which took off in the wind. I didn't stop to collect them though.

"Hey wait up!" I shouted as I began to run after her.

I drew to a halt next to Annabeth who was standing just yards away from the odd pair that hadn't noticed us yet.

Cassie looked different than the last time I saw her. No dark clothes, not even her cloak. Just a camp t-shirt and shorts. And her combat boots. I guess she couldn't leave those.

Cassie gave a small laugh at something Mike or what-ever-his-name-was said. Her small hands were fiddling with the silver charm bracelet on her left wrist. The charms included a lightning bolt, a trident, a bow and arrow, a hammer, and a heart.

"Cassie?" Annabeth asked.

It took less than 2 seconds before Cassie was standing up with and arrow aimed at Annabeth. Where had that bow even come from?

"Shit," Cassie whispered.

She lowered the bow and slung it over her shoulder where it promptly disappeared. Very strange. Cassie sighed and ran her fingers through her hair.

That's when Matt or whatever his name was, stood up. He raised a hand in a hello.

"Hi," he said, completely calm, though a bit warily. "I'm Max."

That was it! Max!

"Percy," I said.

"I know," Max said.

Of course he knew.

"Am I allowed to ask what's going on?" Annabeth questioned.

She moved her finger, point at Cassie and Max, back and forth. Annabeth's eyes were full of skepticism.

Cassie was the shortest one in the group, but the most intimidating by far. From a distance she just looked a bit older than the last time I saw her, but looking at her up close I saw a new sparkle in her eyes. To quote Beauty and the Beast, which Annabeth forced me to watch, 'there must be something there that wasn't there before.'

Of course the sparkle was kind of dimmed by this unexpected meet up. And the sparkle didn't change the fact that she held herself with confidence and authority.

"No," Cassie answered in a hard voice.

"Cassie," Max said in a condescending tone.

Cassie's hard expression softened just a bit.

"Fine," she huffed, "but I need to get something first."

Cassie turned towards the lake and walked out on it, continuing towards the far side. When I say she walked on water, I mean like from the bible, she literally walked across the water. The walk sped up into a run until she disappeared.

"Don't mind her," Max said, "She's just had some hard times."

"Unlike the rest of us?" I asked sarcastically.

"Worse than the rest of us. Combined," he said.

Annabeth glanced to where Cassie disappeared, then turned to Max.

"Do you know what she is?" Annabeth asked in a rushed tone. "I mean obviously she's not mortal, and I don't think she's a monster. She's powerful too."

Max gave us a knowing grin.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said.

Clearly he was lying, and he knew that we could tell but he didn't care. Annabeth looked like she was getting frustrated.

"Look," Max said, "even if I could tell you, which I can't, that's part of her story and it's not mine to tell."

"So you do know-" Annabeth said.

"But you can't tell us," I finished.

"What I can tell you is that you're both lucky and unlucky if she's watching over you," Max said, "Lucky because she's strong and can protect you when the Fates allow it. Unlucky because it usually means you're a big part of history and have a hard path ahead of you."

Annabeth and I shared a nervous glance. Cassie watched me like a hawk for twelve years, and even after that checked in on me.

Max continued, "Once you really get to know Cassie, you find out just how incredible she is. The things she can do… It's no wonder she never fit in one place. She belongs everywhere."

Then Annabeth chose to speak, "From what I observed, she's pretty cold and distant. I mean, she knew what would happen to Thalia, but she didn't stop it."

"Look at Thalia now though. She's happily with the Hunters. Cassie must have seen that too. And her burden isn't a light one. She sees everything, yet there's only so much she can do," Max said.

I spoke for the first time in a while.

"What's going on with you and Cassie? I mean how- That is to say when- Well- You get the idea."

Max chuckled. He too seemed a bit cold and distant, but then again who wasn't after what had been going on lately. Max's smile slowly shrank and it was like he had faded into the past.

"Cassie brought me to camp. I was ten years old. My mom had sent me off to camp because I was attracting so many monsters. Chiron sent a satyr but the satyr wouldn't have reached me in time. I was armed with just a dagger and lost in windy streets of Chicago- about halfway through my journey.

That's when she found me. Huddled in an alleyway. I don't know why she chose me of all demigods to save, but I'm glad she did. She took me as far as the other side Half-Blood Hill."

"I remember the rest of that," Annabeth said. "You came into camp with these crazy tales of the blond girl who had saved you."

"As you can see though, they weren't crazy," Max replied.

"Well I can see that now," Annabeth said.

A piercing bird call rang out through the valley. Max just gave a tiny smile. The thing was, there was no natural animal that could make a sound that loud. Annabeth seemed just as on guard as I was. We were all silent for a few seconds.

Then a bird actually flew towards us from the direction of Thalia's tree. It looked like a falcon or something. The ball of feathers landed calmly on Max's shoulder.

I reached out my hand and the bird nipped at me. Max however, began stroking the bird like this was a regular occurrence. Then the bird transformed.

In the bird's place was Cassie balancing precariously on Max's shoulder. Cassie's arms were spread out as if some of the bird had been carried through the transformation.

"That's not physically possible," Annabeth murmured.

I just nodded in agreement.

Cassie meanwhile, jumped lightly to the ground, landing perfectly on her tiptoes.

" _I'm_ not physically possible, sweetheart," Cassie said.

 **Aaaaaand that's the end of chapter eight. You like? If so please tell me. I enjoy hearing that people like what I write. Don't hold your breath waiting for the next chapter though. As the beginning of the school gets closer, the farther apart the updates will be. Sorry. Any questions or suggestions for the story?**

 **Follow, favorite, and review! plz & thx**


	9. Epsilon & Zeta

**Chapter nine. Sorry for putting it up so late. It was a mix of writer's block and other obligations. What's the point of summer if teachers give you a ton of work to do during it? Anyway. You know what's funny? Over the past week I've been cut by sharp glass twice (accidently of course), and zapped twice. It hurt. For some reason things hated me this week.**

 **Disclaimer- PJO belongs to Rick Riordan, and so on.**

 **Annabeth POV**

"What have you got?" Percy asked.

"Nothing of importance to you," Cassie answered.

"Really?" Percy said.

"Not yet at least," Cassie replied.

"How about now?" he asked.

"No."

"Now?"

"Nope."

"No-"

"So help me, if you finish that sentence I will kick your ass so hard you won't be able to sit for a week," Cassie snapped at him.

"You know you sort of remind me of Clarisse with that attitude," Percy said.

Cassie clutched the little book she had retrieved closer to her body.

"Hey remember how Clarisse can kick your ass in hand-to-hand combat?" she asked slyly.

"Yes?" Percy answered unsure.

"Well so can I," she growled. "So you had better get off my case or I'll make battling Clarisse seem like a freaking picnic."

Percy shut up immediately.

They were walking ahead of me and Max, who gave a little smile at the banter.

"You know Percy's pretty good with a sword. He could probably take Cassie," I told Max.

"I'm not worried about that. Cassie can take him anyday," Max said. "Five bucks says Percy pisses Cassie off."

"Not taking that bet," I told him.

"Let me finish," Max said, "Five bucks says Percy pisses Cassie off and she pulverizes him."

I looked at the pair in front of us. Percy could take Cassie right? Either that or I was about to waste five bucks.

"You're on," I said, shaking Max's hand.

We continued walking down the dock, and the water to the side of us was still at least a few feet deep. There was a splash in the water. I looked up to Percy and Cassie. No. Wait. Just Cassie. Did she-?

Yep. She shoved Percy into the lake. He dragged himself back up onto the wooden planks. Percy would have been soaked if not for his Poseidon powers.

"What in the name of Hades was that for!" he yelled.

"You were pissing me off," Cassie said, as if it should be obvious.

I couldn't help but laugh a little bit. Percy tried to glare at me, but his gaze softened just a bit as I continued to giggle. I took a five dollar bill out of my pocket and pressed it into Max's outstretched hand as he just watched Percy try to tackle Cassie.

Best five bucks I've ever spent.

Cassie moved to the side at the last moment and Percy barreled right into the lake. The water calmed but Percy didn't resurface. He was planning something. A giant wave stretched out of the water and drenched Cassie.

Max and I backed away but got splashed with just a bit of water.

"You have got to be kidding me Jackson," Cassie grumbled.

She began stripping off her clothes. Luckily, a black one piece with red accents was underneath. If there was nothing I think I would've had a heart attack.

Cassie dove in gracefully and the water seemed to gather around her.

Percy began shooting jets of water at her, but she dodged them as quickly as he could send them. Max pulled me to one side and in a few seconds I saw why. Cassie shot a huge blast of water, pushing Percy over the dock, right where I had just been standing.

By the time their little water fight was over, I was as wet as if I had been in the lake too, Percy was hopping up and down trying to get water out of his ear, and Max barely had any water on his clothes. Cassie hopped out, and while she should've been soaked to the bone, she was instantly dry, even her hair. Sorta like Percy. Exactly like Percy actually.

I took out the little notebook I had been using to collect information on Cassie and wrote that in next to powers. I also added that she could walk on water. Something I had never seen done before.

Cassie was still a blank page though. She was in none of the myths. No one knew who she was. Chiron wouldn't tell us anything. Then I had an epiphany.

Maybe she _was_ in the myths. Maybe she just went under a different name or an alias.

Cassie gave me a funny look, probably because I was staring at her. I tried to neutralize my expression.

The mystery woman tugged on her shorts and boots but draped her shirt over her arm.

As we walked back to the cabins, Cassie played with her hair until it was in a braid that had a messy but stylish look to it. I was jealous. The only thing I can do with my hair is put it in a ponytail, and if I'm lucky and use a ton of gel, a bun. The way she effortlessly put it up like that- well I just wish I could do that.

I had another thought. If Cassie was with Max, then chances were, she was staying at camp, but where? One of the cabins? That would give a hint as to who she was connected to. The big house? Probably. Or maybe she came in every morning by bird. That had freaked me out more than I let on. Someone turning from a bird _into_ a human.

In Greek myths there were a lot of tales of people being turned into animals- Odysseus' men, Actaeon, Lycaon- come to think of it, a lot of men were transformed. The point was, there weren't many myths of animals turning into people. If I could find something on that, then Cassie's identity would be revealed. Most likely.

"So Cassie," Percy asked, "are you staying in camp?"

"Yes," Cassie said simply as she hiked across the open landscape.

"What cabin?" Percy asked.

"Epsilon," she answered as if it was completely normal.

"Wait- what now?" Percy stuttered.

I stopped walking as soon as she said that. Percy stumbled and caught my arm in order to stay up.

"Ow," I mumbled.

"Sorry," Percy whispered.

Cassie walked right past the main cabins toward the edge of the woods before taking a sharp turn away from them and towards an open area. The grass was a vibrant green, and the sky a bright blue, but there was nothing in between, yet Cassie walked over to one particular spot.

Percy and I looked at Cassie warily. What was going on with that girl?

Max coughed a little.

"Um… Cassie?" he said, "They can't see it."

"Oh… right," she answered, "give me a second."

I looked over, wondering what she planned to do, when I noticed something very strange. She wasn't walking on the ground. Rather, she was walking an inch above the grass, walking on air.

Before I could point this out to Percy she was directly in front of me. My instincts shouted at me to run, but I was too curious to do so. I didn't completely understand what she did next.

Cassie pressed her index finger into my forehead, so I was forced to look up cross eyed. My vision blacked out for a few seconds. When the colors and shapes made their way into my vision again, directly in front of me, risen high in the sky, was a cabin.

It was a quaint little thing, with window boxes and a small chimney. Above the cinnamon colored door in solid celestial bronze was a word: Epsilon.

"Welcome to the Epsilon Cabin," Cassie said with a little smile.

 **Cassie POV**

At midnight I stood over Camp Jupiter, surveying it from atop Jupiter's shrine. Lights shined out of the praetor's office. Another late night as they prepared for the attack on Mount Tam. War was coming, and nothing good could come out of that, or so I thought.

I leaped off the edge and floated through the air, drifting up and down every so slightly until I reached another small cabin sitting close to the barracks but in midair. I landed lightly on the porch.

Staring up at the imperial gold sign above the door I read the one comforting word: Zeta.

 **Again, sorry this chapter took so long- writer's block. It was a boring chapter but it needed to be written. The next chapter will be the war, so lots of fighting. Is that good or bad? I'll try to get it up soon, but I probably won't, school starts soon and I still have stuff to get done. So, sorry in advance. Any questions? Comments? Advice?**

 **Follow, favorite, and review! plz & thx**


	10. Hydra Obedience Class

**Anybody excited for chapter 10? Well, I'm more happy that I finished it. I have absolutely nothing else to say. Except sorry for taking so long. I am! I'm sorry. I really am. And I meant to post it two nights ago but the wifi was iffy and I didn't want to risk it. On the bright side, this is quite a long chapter. With a lot of action. And yelling. Well. Keep reading I guess?**

 **WARNING: slightly violent at parts**

 **Disclaimer- PJO belongs to Rick Riordan, and so on.**

 **Cassie POV**

The first explosion shook the earth with immense power, and from there it only got worse.

Standing atop the Empire State Building I had a perfect view of the island. And when I say standing atop, I mean one hand wrapped around the pole at the top and leaning out into the fading sunlight.

Manhattan was a war zone. The rivers themselves had just sunk boats filled with monsters, but the roads and tunnels weren't doing so well. Smoke was rising from many areas. Mortals slept on the ground and in the streets, clueless as to what was going on around them.

The Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel was overflowing with more plants than a flower festival. The Manhattan Bridge and the Brooklyn Bridge were doing fine. The Hermes cabin looked like it was doing its job well. Same with Lincoln Tunnel. The tank lay in scattered pieces and the hunters had gained ground.

I couldn't see the Queens-Midtown Tunnel, but since it was covered in a pink fog I could only assume that the Aphrodite cabin was doing okay. The Athena cabin seemed to be holding their own as they fought alongside various statues. The Apollo cabin wasn't doing too hot, but it looked as if Percy and Annabeth were on their way. That left Max's cabin.

The Hephaestus cabin may have had traps and machines, but there was a very small number of people, and other bridges and tunnels that needed the reinforcements more. Well. "Reinforcements." Thus, they were slowly getting pushed back and the Holland Tunnel was being overtaken by monsters and enemy demigods.

Nothing could've made it worse. Well, I mean Kronos could've, but he would be waiting for Percy.

Of course I jinxed it when I thought that only the Titan of Time could've made it worse, because the battle was apparently just heating up.

From the back of the enemy lines came a charging hydra. Five angry heads spitting acid onto the already ruined asphalt. The entire battle parted to avoid it.

Something that resembled a bear trap snapped at one of the hydra's legs but that just seemed to anger it. The beast ripped away from the metal, unscathed.

Things could get very bad. I know what you're going to say, 'aren't things already bad?' Well yeah, but with a hydra? Much worse.

I slid down the roof of the Empire State Building and somersaulted off the edge. I spread my arms and spun through the air, rapidly dropping.

A few feet above the ground I swooped up, my body transformed into the light body of a falcon. I tucked my feet in and pushed my wings down.

I straightened out once I was at a respectable height and the wind kept me up, so I just had to flap every once and a while.

With sharpened vision I could see the battles in great detail.

The Apollo campers hiding behind a yellow school bus. A daughter of Aphrodite falling to a hellhound. A large patch of poison ivy in flames as campers tried to drag the mortals away.

And one stupid son of Hephaestus named Jake Mason cutting the heads off of a hydra.

I tucked my wings and dove.

Turning back into a person just before I glided to a stop on the asphalt, I immediately swung my sword and decapitating a good three or four dracanae. I stabbed and slashed. Swung and parried. I reduced dozens of monsters to dust in mere minutes.

The hydra didn't know which side it was supposed to be on so it was spitting acid everywhere, even disintegrating a few of its own.

The scenery was that of an action movie. Dirt and monster guts smeared on my face. Hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. A black cami that hugged me closely. Dark shorts. My inky black combat boots. A jar of greek fire exploded behind me. Winds blowing ash this way and that. My bronze sword swinging in my hand. A dagger strapped to my thigh. Two hunting knives sheathed in my quiver that was full of arrows just waiting to be shot be by a delicately carved bow that hung off my shoulder.

Time seemed to slow down around me, yet Kronos was nowhere to be seen.

By now the hydra had at least twice as many heads.

"Jake Mason you're being an idiot!" I shouted as soon as I finally reached him. "You don't just go around cutting the heads off a hydra willy nilly! What were you thinking? 'Oh, this monster isn't tough enough. I'm gonna make it tougher.' Seriously?"

"Is this really the time to be lecturing me! We're in the middle of a freaking war!" he yelled back.

"If I don't tell you now then I'm going to forget!" I screamed. "So I'm telling you now! _This_ is the proper way to defeat a hydra!"

I stomped over to the beast stepping right in front of it. All the heads screeched at me.

I'm pretty sure everyone else thought I had cracked. If not by that time, then by what I did next.

"Bad hydra!" I snapped. "You've been a very bad boy!"

All the heads stopped in confusion. They tilted in unison. _Hiss?_ In fact, almost the entire tunnel had stopped to admire my handiwork. The battles in the rest of the city went on without us, but here I was, teaching a hydra obedience tricks.

"Now," I continued, "If you don't turn around and go home _right now_ , then I'm gonna have to kill you. That's not going to help either of us. You'll be stuck in Tartarus again and I'll be sitting here sad that I killed a harmless creature."

"Harmless?" someone in the back cried out. "That thing almost bit my head off!"

"Shut it Jake!" I yelled at him.

The hydra broke out of its daze and snapped at me from both sides. I jumped up and onto one of its heads, running down the neck onto its monstrous body. The scales were an ugly mottled purple green color.

" _This_ Jake Mason," I said dramatically, "is how you kill a hydra."

I gave a loud yell and swung my sword down hard, slicing one of the heads clean off.

"I thought you just told me not to cut off its heads!" Jake yelled.

I lit my hand on fire and the flames licked up my arm. I shot a blast of hot white flames at the stump where guts were oozing out but the remaining parts were trying to regrow into two heads. The hydra screamed in rage and pain.

I gave a little smile and laugh, and in the shadows of the flames I'm pretty sure it came off as maniacal because some of the monsters backed away a bit.

One of the remaining hydra heads snapped at me and I ducked. The battle around me resumed as everyone came to. I dodged another head, slicing it off and searing the wound closed.

This process continued until only a steaming body remained, and even that crumbled to dust and floated away in the soft August wind.

Normally, I could just release my true form, but with the scattered demigods it was too risky. Plus, who knew how Kronos' time charm would affect it. Also there was a chance that I would wipe New York of the map. So instead I swung and parried, not bothering with a shield because I felt as though it weighed me down. This continued for a long time.

This battle had to end soon. Everyone was worn out, and dawn was streaking in the horizon.

"That's it," I growled.

I was able to separate the Hephaestus cabin and make them retreat. I stood at the mouth of the tunnel, my back facing Manhattan.

The enemy began to regroup. The front was bristled with spears and battle axes along with many swords.

"You shall not pass," I said calmly, digging my sword into the asphalt in front of me, cutting it like butter.

Blue lighting flickered up and down my body. Bolts zapped from my body, cutting down monster after monster.

I turned my head back at Max, mouthing at him to go. I felt a sharp pain in my gut. A very much real pain. I looked down to see a shattered sword at my feet, but the largest piece lodged in my torso.

I may be immortal, but I'm not invincible. The pain caused one last blast of lightning, disintegrating the last of the enemy.

I fell forward on my knees and collapsed to my side. The pain tinged my vision gold, but I was still very much conscious.

 **Max POV**

Once I saw Cassie collapse I sprinted forward and gathered her in my arms. Blood was pouring out of her body. Her hair stuck to her face due to the sweat that was dripping off her forehead.

I rushed Cassie straight to the hotel that the demigods had taken over, completely ignoring the tired looks people gave me as I pushed past.

I ran into the first empty room I could see and slammed it shut with my foot.

"You're a goddess. You're going to be fine right?" I asked her.

She grimaced with pain as I laid her down on an open bed. Cassie's cobalt eyes were slightly unfocused.

"Yeah, I would be fine, I there wasn't a shard of celestial bronze inside of me," Cassie said.

I wondered whether or not she was being sarcastic. I glance down and saw what she meant. Golden ichor was pooling around her abdomen, but in the center it was bubbling just a bit around something shiny.

"I'll go get a medic."

Cassie reached out and grabbed my wrist, covering it with her own blood.

"You can't," she said.

Cassie gave me an earnest look. I realized she was right. She was covered in the blood of the immortals. If her secret was spilled now then everything could go sideways.

"You know, you get a little crease in between your eyebrows when you're worried," Cassie said with a strained little laugh. "You might want to turn away for this."

"What are you go-" I started.

She interrupted me by digging her hand into her own wound, all the while gasping in pain. I couldn't bare to look away. More golden ichor poured out, staining the sheets and pillows. Her teeth gritted and the area around her hand made little squelching noises.

Any other person would have left but I couldn't leave her.

Finally she managed to drag the jagged piece of metal out. Instantly her color began to return and wound started to heal. However everything was stained with golden ichor.

That was something we couldn't hide if someone else came in.

Cassie noticed this too. Her eyebrows furrowed as she stared at the blood covered sheets.

She sat up and got to her feet, only wobbling slightly. The wound almost completely closed.

Waving her hands she drew everything covered in her blood into a big ball in the air, sort of like she was rolling an invisible snowball.

The mass of sheets sat floating in midair. Cassie set her hand ablaze and poked the sheets, setting them on fire too.

Eventually it was just a small a small pile of ash which she swept out of the window and into the breeze.

The blood covering her body seemed to seep through her skin and it disappeared.

"You'd better get some rest before tomorrow," Cassie whispered.

"What about you?" I asked.

"Places to be, people to see," she answered.

I knew there was no way I could change her mind. She may have just been through a lot of pain but that was Cassie. Pain couldn't stop her. Physical or mental.

Cassie wrapped her arms around my waist and pulled me into a hug. She rested her head against my chest. I hugged her close.

We stayed like that for a while.

Finally we pulled apart and Cassie gave me a peck on the cheek.

She stepped back a bit. I closed my eyes as she disappeared in a flash of light.

Cassie was right. I should get some sleep.

I stumbled over to the stripped bed and flopped down, falling asleep almost instantly.

 **Cassie POV**

"It's about time," a voice called out from behind me, "Reyna's been expecting you."

I turned to see Octavian, legacy of Apollo, standing there with a gutted teddy bear and a knife.

I'm pretty sure he had a thing for me, but everytime I thought about it, it made me want to gag.

"I've been busy," I responded.

"So I see," he said, gesturing to my weapons.

I waved my hand and they disappeared, leaving just my sword. It now appeared to be imperial gold. Luckily, before coming I had changed clothes and washed away the grime, otherwise there would be more questions. I wore another black cami, black cargo pants, my combat boots, and my cloak.

I tugged the band out of my ponytail, letting it tumble over my shoulders.

"Let's get started," I said.

I pushed past Octavian and towards the waiting war council.

 **End of chapter 10. I know the ending was a bit rushed but I already wrote a pretty long chapter so I was trying to finish it up. Anybody get my puns and jokes? There's a quite a few of them in there. I'll make you a deal. Next person to give me a genuinely good idea for this story or to give me a review that melts my heart, I'll name a character after you or you can pick a name for a character. Okay? Okay.**

 **Final guesses for Cassie's remaining godly powers? It will either be revealed in the next chapter or the one following that.**

 **Follow, favorite, and review! plz & thx**


	11. Moonlace and Willows

**I'm back! Anybody happy about that? Or about the quick new chapter? Well chocolatebackground wrote a heart melting review so this chapter includes two of the suggested names. And new OC characters.**

 **Disclaimer- PJO belongs to Rick Riordan, and so on.**

 **Cassie POV**

I stood at the back of the war counsel since they had yet to notice me. Reyna looked stressed. As much as she loved this camp, she was without the second praetor, so everything rested on her shoulders.

All the centurions stood around a large rectangular table covered with maps and attack plans.

Reyna looked up at Romans and finally saw me in the back.

"We'll continue this tomorrow," she told everyone else. "Dismissed."

I watched everyone file out past me. Only one person offered a hello and a smile.

I looked at the blond-haired, blue-eyed son of Jupiter curiously.

"Hello Jason," I said softly as he walked past.

Unfortunately, Octavian walked in after the room had emptied out.

"Octavian," Reyna called out, "I thought I told everyone to leave."

"As augur I feel the need to witness anything going on with ," Octavian told her.

My eyes flashed gold. How dare he use my last name. The only reason I told him it was because he wouldn't leave me alone about it.

"Fine," Reyna said angrily, "but be quiet."

Reyna turned towards me. She was obviously infuriated by Octavian's actions, as was I. For some reason he kept moving closer to me very slowly.

Reyna continued, trying to ignore Octavian.

"So," she said, turning her attention to me, "I heard you have news for me on the day we should attack."

"Two days from now. The eighteenth at dawn," I told her. "That's when you should attack Mount Tam."

Octavian coughed a bit from behind me.

"Sorry to interrupt," he said, "but my auguries say differently. They say to attack tomorrow. I am sorry to disagree with you my lady."

My hands slowly curled into fists. I was at the breaking point. I uncurled one hand and waved it through the air just a little bit.

"What do your auguries say now Octavian," I asked softly.

The scarecrow of an augur cut open a sad looking sheep beanie baby and began to examine its fluff.

His face turned pale.

"I… I've never seen such explicit word choice in my auguries before," he stuttered.

"You'd better do what it tells you," I said softly.

Octavian turned around quickly and stumbled as he tried to run out of the door.

Reyna looked at me, clearly impressed.

"Why shouldn't we attack tomorrow?" she asked me.

"Attack tomorrow and you'll be slaughtered," I told her softly, "Attack at dawn on the eighteenth and you will be victorious."

Reyna nodded, taking what I said to heart. She knew that I was no one to mess with, and that I was powerful enough to know the answers she seeked.

"Then we shall attack in two days time," Reyna said to no one in particular.

"Good," I whispered.

Putting up my hood I stepped to the door. I turned to face the daughter of Bellona one more time.

"I have business to attend to, but I'll check in with you before the battle," I said.

Then I left, walking leisurely through the barracks. My cloak fluttered in the wind. All the lights in the buildings were out. The moon sat high above, nestled in between the stars.

I sat on the edge of the porch wrapped around Zeta with my legs poking through the rails and dangling off the side; my head leaned against the wooden beams. I closed my eyes, appreciating the silence.

"Eh hem…" said a small voice, breaking the quiet night. "Sorry to interrupt, but I have a message."

Floating in the air in front of me was an Iris Message, and in it, Iris herself.

"Hello Iris," I said softly, "how are you?"

Iris smiled at me.

"Very well my dear, but I have a message from someone. An anonymous someone," Iris said.

"And who might that be?" I asked.

"Someone from your past, but as I said, anonymous," she answered.

"So what's the message?" I questioned.

"It's just an address," Iris said. "And one other thing."

After receiving the message I said goodbye to Iris and flashed to the address.

A small cottage in the woods lay in a clearing. I could tell it was in California; somewhere near Camp Jupiter. The little cottage had lattices beside the door covered with honeysuckle and lavender that crept up the side of the house. A gate remained open to the side of the house, leading into a garden. I walked through and followed the little stone path, finally reaching a willow tree.

Someone sat on the lower branches. A teenage girl with waist-length chestnut hair and deep blue eyes that sparkled. She wore a dark blue dress that sparkled in the moon light.

I walked closer, careful not to step on the moonlace.

"So," I called out, "I hear you want onto the gods' side."

"I was only ever on my family's side before. But now I want out," she the titan's daughter told me.

"Why?" I asked.

"I don't want to see the world in destruction and flames," she said.

"It's a guy isn't it," I said, without really questioning it.

"Okay, it's a guy," the girl in front of me admitted, "but he's just so cute."

"I knew it!" I practically squealed.

I ran forward and embraced the girl. We started hopping up and down like a couple of modern teenagers.

"Oh my gods Celeste!" I continued, "I'm so happy for you! What's his name?"

"His name is Oliver," Celeste started.

"Oliver," I murmured.

She continued to tell me about Oliver, the son of Venus from Hawaii. Brother to Michael Kahale. Meanwhile, I was pulled into a memory. A sad memory. From a time long ago about another boy named Oliver. Tears welled in my eyes and threatened to fall.

 **And I'm leaving you with a cliffhanger. Sorry, not sorry. You'll just have to wait for the next chapter. And I might have lied about the goddess thing being revealed this chapter or the next one. That on the other hand, I actually am sorry about. Next chapter will be Oliver's story and the chapter after that should be the big reveal. Hopefully. Anyway. I'll keep the same deal as last time. So write a review, and if it melts my heart or is a good idea for the story then I'll name a character for/after you.**

 **Follow, favorite, and review! plz & thx**


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